28 minutes ago, Pendergast said:

Everyone's better than Oscar. But I think this a transfer to replace Hazard or Willian. Our super defensive coach wouldn't throw away one of the three stoppers. So bye-bye Eden or Willi. 

2 ridiculous post in 2 days. Wonder if you'll get the hattrick tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Update on Brozovic and other potential signings.

https://www.facebook.com/NizaarKinsella/videos/1193652080686580/

excited about this, inter fans really rate him some said he's better than kovacic and has higher ceiling than him

10 minutes ago, havelschayes said:

excited about this, inter fans really rate him some said he's better than kovacic and has higher ceiling than him

He is ahead of Kovacic in the pecking order for Croatia also.

Edited August 30, 20169 yr by pacquiao

Not really impressed about him or Alonso based solely on youtube-comps.

2 minutes ago, evissy said:

Not really impressed about him or Alonso based solely on youtube-comps.

Sigh, youtube should never be used to decide on a player.

2 minutes ago, dkw said:

Sigh, youtube should never be used to decide on a player.

Agree, but my stance on that if a player can't even look good/convincing on a youtube-highlight reel then he probably isn't very good.

8 minutes ago, Sindre said:

Agree, but my stance on that if a player can't even look good/convincing on a youtube-highlight reel then he probably isn't very good.

is that even possible?

Taken from an article published by ESPN last year (when he was still at Dinamo and linked with a move to Arsenal)
http://www.espnfc.co.uk/blog/scouts-notebook/78/post/2254651/marcelo-brozovic-dubbed-croatian-xavi,-but-is-he-up-to-scratch-for-arsenal

"Brozovic dubbed 'Croatian Xavi,' but is he up to scratch for Arsenal?

Marcelo Brozovic has been likened to Barcelona star Xavi.
Arsenal's ongoing -- seemingly perpetual -- injury crisis has seen them linked to a number of players during the January transfer window. One of the strongest links, albeit one largely propagated by the player and his agent, has been to Dinamo Zagreb's Croatian international midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.

The 22-year-old began his career in his native Zagreb at Hrvatski Dragovoljac. He worked his way up through the youth ranks before debuting in 2010 at the age of 17 and impressed sufficiently over the course of his first campaign to earn himself a move to Lokomotiva when Hrvatski were relegated at the end of the season. His upward trajectory continued a year later with a move to Dinamo Zagreb to replace the Hamburg-bound Milan Badelj.

At Dinamo, Brozovic has won back-to-back league titles and established himself as a regular for Croatia at the international level. He was included in Niko Kovac's World Cup squad this past summer after catching his eye under the same coach at under-21 level, and he has since started all four of Croatia's Euro 2016 qualifiers. The midfielder had previously represented his country at all age levels from under-18 up.

Brozovic's agent, Miroslav Bicanic, has regularly touted his client for a move to a major European league, with Arsenal taking their place alongside the likes of Everton, Liverpool, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Valencia as possible suitors he has put forth. Reports suggest Dinamo will seek a fee of 10 million euros if Brozovic is to leave during the January transfer window.

Style

Brozovic is a difficult player to categorise. He is not an outright creative player, nor is he especially combative; he usually plays a box-to-box role but lacks the physicality or speed usually associated with it. Indeed, he performs best as the adaptable third wheel in a midfield three in which the others take charge of the dedicated defensive (Arijan Ademi at Dinamo) and creative (Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric for Croatia) tasks.

Reports in the English press have dubbed Brozovic the "Croatian Xavi" -- a moniker that somewhat overestimates his ability. Although he is neat and tidy in possession and does occasionally provide incision, he has not yet demonstrated Xavi's ability to impose himself on a match and control the rhythm of play.

Major strengths

- Good touch
- Safe and secure in possession
- Strikes the ball cleanly

Major weaknesses

- Relatively lightweight
- Lacks pace
- Not especially creative

Assessment breakdown

Tackling: He has been Dinamo's second-most prolific tackler in the Europa League so far this season, with 3.5 successful tackles per match. But his relative lack of pace and physicality has also resulted in his being beaten by a dribble on an average of three occasions per match -- the second-most of any player from any team during the group stage.

Marking: He is relatively attentive to his defensive duties and understands the importance of closing off space.

Heading: At 5-foot-11, he is not the tallest and doesn't regularly compete for the ball in the air, either in open play or from set pieces.

Close control: Brozovic possesses a good first touch and is relatively comfortable receiving the ball under pressure. He is capable of working his way out of potentially dangerous situations when necessary.

Passing: He passes the ball crisply and accurately over short distances and occasionally picks some nice, longer diagonals to the flanks. The majority of his passing, however, is safe and secure, with little risked or gained. He rarely displays much creativity in his choices.

Positioning: He has performed well alongside Modric and Rakitic as part of a rotating midfield triangle for Croatia, which shows he is capable of interpreting relatively complex instructions. The timing of his off-ball forward runs is usually good, and he generally positions himself adroitly to pick up scraps on the edge of the area from cleared crosses.

Crossing: He occasionally gets forward into crossing positions at Dinamo, with the subsequent deliveries usually of a decent standard.

Finishing: A return of seven goals in seven starts for Croatia's under-21 side during the qualification process for this year's European U21 Championship suggests he knows the way to goal, though he has not yet come close to matching that scoring rate at club level. He does, however, generally strike the ball hard and true when shooting from distance.

Brozovic has good experience for one so young but is a little lightweight.
What the experts say

Croatian football journalist Aleksandar Holiga: "In all honesty, Marcelo Brozovic looks like an undernourished, less creative but slightly more direct and durable version of Aaron Ramsey. That could be useful for the Gunners, but it is hardly a priority for them at the moment."

Reuters journalist Zoran Milosavljevic: "The young central midfielder was impressive in his first two seasons at the Croatian champions, and his steady improvement was rewarded with a slot in the World Cup squad."

Trivia

Brozovic was the king of the ping-pong table during Croatia's stay in Brazil for this past summer's World Cup.

Conclusion

It is difficult to see where Brozovic would fit in at the Emirates, if Arsenal's interest in him is indeed genuine. He has neither the positional awareness and passing range of Mikel Arteta -- who, we must remember, was schooled in the art of the single pivot position during his early years at Barcelona -- nor the necessary physical attributes to be the mobile and tough-tackling defensive midfielder many feel the Gunners still need.

A box-to-box remit similar to that which he currently performs for Dinamo could be an option, but it is questionable whether he is robust and dynamic enough to really thrive in such a role in the Premier League. The fact that he struggled to impose himself when faced with the hyperactive pressing of Red Bull Salzburg in Dinamo's 5-1 home defeat in November would perhaps suggest not.

That is not to say Brozovic is a bad player or he doesn't possess attributes that would make him a good fit at another club in another league. It takes a certain quality of player to hold down a place in Croatia's talent-packed midfield, and he would almost certainly be a solid performer in Italy, for example. But neither Arsenal nor England currently looks like the best place for him to further his career."

Edited August 30, 20169 yr by the special one

Thought he looked plenty athletic from what I have seen. Def faster and stronger then Oscar. Tidy in possesion, relatively two footed and good close control. Seems very much like a "Conte midfielder" if thats a thing. Would be a good fit her imo

Edited August 30, 20169 yr by Xfaxtor

2 minutes ago, Xfaxtor said:

Thought he looked plenty athletic from what I have seen.

I thought the same tbh, the ESPN article claims he's "lightweight" but doesn't take into consideration he was just 21/22 at the time.

Hopefully he can be in the Lampard mould.

Come in with a few question marks but is young enough to improve and maybe he can give us some much needed attacking quality from midfield.
 

Looks like this one wont be happening now! Inter are offering him a new contract...

http://sportwitness.co.uk/star-just-waiting-nod-fly-london-sign-chelsea/?

Chelsea interest in Marcelo Brozovic is obviously intriguing the Croatian media.

The 23 year old Inter Milan player has been linked with leaving the club for many months, and it seems to be a situation where he’s been half on the market, as long as a good fee arrives.

Previously linked more with Arsenal, and then Tottenham, Chelsea are now the club said to be keenest on the player, and Inter’s summer purchases make an exit more likely for the midfielder.

After impressing at Euro 2016 and amassing good experience by the age of 23, it’s perhaps a surprise that there’s not more interest, but that would be good for Chelsea.

Croatian newspaper Vecernji List report on Tuesday that Brozovic is just ‘waiting for the nod’ to fly to England and sign for Chelsea. It’s explained Brozovic is currently with the Croatian national team in Zagreb, but the option of a short flight to London is open.

Strange, he doesn't appear to be CB...

WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED! [emoji849]

Would be pleased with this.

Fairly sure he'd become just the second Croatian to play for our first team with Mario Stanic being the first.

Goal article from Nizaar Kinsella says fee agreed, both us and Inter have offered him deals, but sources in Italy fully expect him to join Chelsea.

Matt Law in Telegraph though reckons it is unlikely, but his latest article seems to be pure guesswork covering all bases

lol that goal.com journo must be sweating bullets right now

 

If we are bringing in another mid, I would much rather just pay the 60 mil for James and let Oscar leave

But if James is not going to happen than get Brozovic

Looks like we have given up on Brozovic and are now looking to sign Sissoko from Newcastle! 

Apparently his agent said that he refused to come to Chelsea 

Think (and hope) this was smoke and mirrors.  Didn't seem to make a ton of sense and it seems like our name was just being used by his agent to try and get a better deal?

this one's officialy dead

moral of the story : not to trust itk journo from f**king goal.com lol

6 hours ago, havelschayes said:

this one's officialy dead

moral of the story : not to trust itk journo from f**king goal.com lol

Personally gutted but we still have Cesc/Mikel and hopefully it means Chalobah/van Ginkel can stake a claim for more gametime

Edited August 31, 20169 yr by the special one